The clashing of bamboo swords echoed through Julia Davis Park on Sunday afternoon as performers demonstrated skillful martial arts performances and shared stories through traditional dances.
The joyful scene was part of the annual Japan Day celebration featuring traditional Japanese performances, martial arts, music and delicious cuisine. While the event has become one of Boise’s largest gatherings, longtime participants remember its smaller roots.
Robert Stroud, a mentor at the Idaho Kendo Club, participated in the event since its humble beginnings at the Basque Center, watching the celebration exponentially grow alongside Boise’s Asian culture, providing more opportunities to connect with Japanese culture.
“In Idaho, you’re very, by distance and culturally, disconnected from Japan,” Stroud said. “But there’s a large community and there’s a lot of interest, and it’s just little by little finding a way to get together.”
The Idaho Kendo Club are annual performers, demonstrating both Iaido, a Japanese martial art that involves the detailed movements using a real sword, and Kendo, which uses bamboo swords.
Stroud mentioned the struggles of fostering that connection to Japanese culture in Idaho compared to other cities in the West Coast.
“On the West Coast, you have a lot more grocery stores, restaurants and communities,” Stroud said. “But here it’s a little less, so it’s always fun to kind of see it take on and do some things that are a little more, ‘Japanese.’”
Japan Day’s growth extends beyond Boise’s Japanese community, it draws in on the longstanding presence of the culture on the West Coast. Keiko Lugo, has worked in curating the event since its early days and said the celebration attracts Idahoans of all demographics to Japanese culture.
“It’s not just Japanese people, even American[s] with Japanese background,” Lugo said. “Simply anybody in Idaho interested in Japanese culture.”
Younger generations may first encounter the culture through anime, while older folks become interested in travelling, martial arts or traditional Japanese music, according to Lugo.
He also points out the increasing visibility of Japanese symbols and signatures incorporated into American society, including people wearing clothing with traditional Japanese writing.
While Japan Day offers visitors the opportunity to experience Japanese culture firsthand, performers are encouraged to share their stories and bring a small part from their home to Boise. Japanese dancer Yoriko Takami sees the dances as more than just performances, she uses dances to portray Japanese stories and traditions.
Her performance featured a touching story about a geisha, traditional Japanese female entertainers, travelling along the Sumida River in Tokyo as the summer wind approaches. Many other traditional dances represent Japanese tradition, childhood and ceremonies that celebrate health and prosperity.
“Japanese dance always has a story,” Takami said.
Takami has travelled to Boise since Japan Day’s inception, and was surprised by the size of the crowd.
As a travelling performer, Takami encountered many of America’s customs and traditions, but describes Boise as its own shining character.
“I used to be in New York, and moved to California. Very different. The same America, but you know, [Boise] is a different character,” said Takami. “Julia [Davis] Park. Oh, it’s beautiful. It’s everything, you know, peaceful.”
As Japan Day continues to grow and attract wider audiences, with or without Japanese heritage, the celebration has become a center of tradition and community where it can be experienced by all of Boise’s residents.
Its exponential growth creates an opportunity for a community that feels geographically disconnected from their home to gather, share their stories and represent their culture.
